The present invention relates to a conduit assembly used to permit elongated objects such as wires, cables, hoses and pipes to pass through partitions such as walls and floors.
FIGS. 13 and 14 show a process of forming a passage structure for allowing cables 62 to pass through a partition 63. The passage structure has a dual structure. In FIG. 13, installation of the lower side of the passage structure has been substantially completed, and the upper side of the passage structure is in the early stage of installation. In FIG. 14, installation of both the upper and the lower sides of the passage structure is completely finished. In this passage structure, the cables 62 are supported by a ladder-like rack 61. Each rack 61 is made of a pair of rails and a plurality of rods (only one shown) connecting the rails.
Installation of the passage structure in the partition 63 will now be described. First, the cables 62 are inserted in a through hole 64. Then, the cables 62 are placed on the rack 61. With the position of the rack 61 adjusted with respect to the through hole 64, a fireproof material 65 such as rock wool is filled in the space between the outer surface of the cables 62 and the racks 61 and the inner surface of the through hole 64. Through holes 67 corresponding to the racks 61 and the cables 62 are formed in fireproof boards 66. The racks 61 and the cables 62 are inserted in the through holes 67, and the fireproof board 66 is fixed to the outer surface of the partition 63 (as shown by the lower side of the passage structure of FIG. 13). Finally, fireproof sealant is charged into the space between the inner surface of the through holes and the outer surfaces of the racks 61 and the cables 62 (the state shown in FIG. 14) to form a fireproof seal 68. In this way, the cables 62 are supported on the racks 61 and pass through the partition 63.
However, in the conventional method of installation, the racks 61 and the cables 62 have to be held by a worker while the fireproof sealant 68 is being charged to fix their positions with respect to the through hole 64. This makes installation troublesome. Also, the space between the inner surface of the through hole 64 and the outer surface of the racks 61 and the cables 62 is relatively large. Therefore, since the amount of fireproof material 65 that can be filled at one time is limited even if a caulking machine is used, filling takes a long time. Further, the fireproof material 65 may move downward from its weight, and this makes it difficult to fill the fireproof material 65 without leaving space.
Furthermore, through holes 67 must be formed on a fireproof plate 66 to correspond to the shapes of the rack 61 and the cables 62. The through holes 67 are formed at the site of construction prior to installation of the passage structure. This is troublesome work, which lowers the efficiency of the installation.
On the other hand, when the number of the cables 62 has to be increased later, the installed passage structure must be dissembled. Then, cables are added and the passage structure is reconstructed. Therefore, increasing the number of cables 62 after installation is extremely inefficient and results in high costs.
The first objective of the present invention is to provide a conduit device and its method for forming a passage structure that fixes elongated objects such as wires, hoses, cables, and pipes in a partition.
The second objective of the present invention is to provide a conduit device that permits additional elongated objects to be passed through the conduit after an initial installation of the conduit device.
To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a conduit assembly for permitting an elongated object to pass through a through hole formed in a partition. The through hole has a first opening and a second opening opposite to the first opening. The conduit assembly has a conduit and a fixing material. The conduit is located within the through hole. The conduit (14) has a first end located adjacent to the first opening, a second end located adjacent to the second opening and a plurality of ports located at one of the first and the second ends. The elongated object is inserted into at least one of the ports. The fixing material fixes the conduit to the through hole.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.